Another Japan-only Yakuza title launches

Yakuza Mobile to promote upcoming release of Yakuza: of the End

Sega released Yakuza Mobile today in Japan. The game runs on Gree, a cell phone game service run by a company of the same name who is aiming to be the Zynga of Japan.

Set between Yakuza 2 and 3, the point of the game is to gather characters from the series called 'Legendary Men' and train them while simultaneously improving everybody's favorite hive of scum and villainy, Kamuracho. Players can play the game via online co-op or by themselves.

Yakuza Mobile is the fourth game in the series that has yet to receive even the announcement of a western release. Yakuza Kenzan, which took the series back to the 1800's, was released in Japan in 2008. Yakuza: Black Panther for the PSP came out earlier this year, and Yakuza: of the End is scheduled for release in Japan at the same time Yakuza 4 is coming out in the states next month. Of all four games, of the End is the only one we're likely to ever see outside of Japan, and we don't expect to see a localized release of that until next spring or later.